Recreation and Leisure Studies: Search tips

Search tools

There are three tools one can use to construct a search phrase. These are, Boolean, phrase, and truncation.

1. Boolean

Operators: AND, OR, and NOT

Boolean operators are used to combine search terms and assign them different functions. When one combines terms with AND, all terms must be present. When one combines terms with OR, at least one must be present, but more may be also. When one precedes a term with NOT, this term must be excluded.

Note: if more than one operator is used in a phrase, like operators must be grouped together (the same as a math equation).

E.g. (a AND b) AND (x OR y) NOT z

2. Phrase

Operator: " "

The phrase operator is used to search a multi-word term, or a title. Placing terms within quotation marks forces the search engine to look for a set of words in a specified order. Without quotation marks, the terms will be read as separate and unconnected.

E.g. "therapeutic recreation" – engine will search these terms side-by-side

3. Truncation

Operator: *

Truncation allows one to search all variants of a word without writing each word individually. To use truncation, cut off the word where the ending would change, and insert an asterisk.

E.g. canad* = canada, canadian, canadians, canadiana, canadianness